Sunday, March 09, 2008

So its been a long time. So much has been happening. First off, I have moved into a new cave. A more permanent one. This one too can withstand earthquakes, but more permanent in the sense that it belongs to my family, so there is no worries about having to move out etc. I moved in a few weeks ago and after the whirlwind of getting everything settled, this time more so than last because after we got possession, i had to make sure everything was okay in terms of the builders' responsibilities, etc. But its done and then after a few days I got sick... which meant practice got a lot of disruptions, but life has now resumed in terms of practices, etc.

It's been a very exciting time at rhythm riders, in the sense that the senior students, who now perform professionally are becoming more and more established. Its fantastic to see that their years of dedication (over 18 for many) are paying off and that they are getting recognized for their incredible skills and training (which of course would not be possible without our guruji). In terms of writing, i have been doing a little here and there, but its all half written so apologies for no emails or updates.

As for my practice and life in general. Things are great. I have a blast with my Vedanta teacher and im more flexible and more in control of my breathing because of yog and my allergic cold (which has been MASSIVELY aggravated since moving to India) is minimal due to a fantastic ayurvedic doctor that can tell what wrong by checking your pulse! I am getting the hang of being in a traditional guru-shishya parampara style of teaching more and more. Def lucky to have a guru who understands American mentalities and is patient with me. (the guru shishya parampura is the way that classical arts have been passed down, it requires complete surrender of the student - mind, body, EGO - at the feet of the teacher, allowing the teacher to do their best in making you. an analogy is becoming a piece of clay and allowing the sculptor to mold you as they see fit based upon the make-up of the clay. the ego by far has been the biggest challenge as cultural influences of growing up in the West where the importance is placed on the individual and doing what one feels is best. in this case, you don't know anything so there isn't a reason to have ego, but still it is there so overcoming it of course is a challenge. discussion of learning to be a student can be a whole email in itself...)

Growing all the time, can def see improvement in my playing which is always very encouraging. People around me in terms of family, friends, etc are becoming more adjusted to the idea of what I am doing as they understand more about what I am doing. I found this article yesterday that talks about the "double life" that many South Asians lead. It was reassuring to find others similar and to know that I have found that passion.

Time is just flying by so quickly and we'll see where the road leads, there are many things in the pipeline with regards to future plans, nothing is finalized yet, so we'll see where the road takes me. I MIGHT be back in n. America this summer for a little bit, but nothing is for certain. What is certain is that I am growing and love the fact that I get to be in an environment with great music and incredible amounts of knowledge that most people don't even know about. One plan is to start writing a monthly article on stuff that I am learning particularly in philosophy. First one is almost done (they will be in gujarati and english).

hope all is well and that each of you are finding your way to following your dreams and passions.

I've been the jack of all trades and master of none. But as the learned have said - sab sadhe, sab jaye, ek sadhe, sab sadhe. From an engineer and dancer, I've turned into a tabla student and am training to become a professional classical tabla player in a male-dominated field. Through my journey into sound, I seek to know my self.